ECA clubs celebrate 100 years

Published: Wednesday, May 15, 2013 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, May 14, 2013 at 2:21 p.m.

North Carolina owes much of its success today to women who participated in extension "home demonstration clubs," working to improve the well-being of families and their communities.

This year, North Carolina's Extension and Community Association celebrates 100 years of home demonstration and community development across the state.

In Henderson County, the Extension and Community Association (ECA) clubs are active in their communities today. Through the educational guidance and research-based information provided by N.C. Cooperative Extension's family and consumer sciences agent and specialists based at N.C. State and N.C. A&T State universities, ECA is a grass-roots institution that has actively addressed the needs of families in their communities for 100 years.

Today ECA clubs are still involved in their communities, encouraging healthy lifestyles, supporting community literacy and providing for our state's military personnel.

Henderson County has at least four active ECA Clubs that support many organizations and agencies. Some of them include MainStay, Open Arms, Interfaith Assistance Ministry, local fire departments, the Linus Project and more.

In 1911, Jane S. McKimmon, North Carolina's first female home demonstration extension agent, convinced 14 county superintendents of education to employ home demonstration agents to support the girls' tomato club program. Tomato clubs were the girls' counterpart to the boys' corn clubs that taught rural youth valuable skills for life on the farm.

By 1913, the mothers, who had learned to can so well that they were canning leaders in their communities, began to ask for clubs of their own where they might learn other skills for the home. Thus home demonstration clubs for women were organized in 14 counties.

Home demonstration work began in Henderson County in 1918 when Annie Mae Baker served as home agent, along with farm agent Frank Fleming.

About 1923, McKimmon, a state home agent, came to the county to encourage groups of homemakers to organize themselves. They were encouraged to grow tomatoes, to can these for home use, and to sell them to others to add to the family income.

A meeting of homemakers was held at the home of Gladys McKinna in the Etowah community, where they were encouraged to consider ways of making their kitchens more functional and their homes more attractive. As part of this special project, McKinna's husband made a small tea cart for her.

In 1924, Rachel Everett served as home agent for a year. She was one of the supporters of the formation of the Curb Market, which is now on Church Street.

In 2010, the Curb Market celebrated its 85th anniversary and still organizes Old Timey Days with displays of many arts, crafts, food and plants.

Throughout the last century, home demonstration clubs, later renamed Extension Homemakers and today known as ECA clubs, have been involved in helping North Carolina become the progressive state it is today. From the earliest days, women organized efforts beyond their own homes to support their communities.

During the 1918 flu pandemic, home demonstration clubs provided food for those who were ill and even helped run emergency hospitals. Home demonstration clubs launched efforts to feed schoolchildren, a precursor to today's school lunch programs.

In times of economic hardshipsuch as the Great Depression, curb markets, such as ours on Church Street, were started by home demonstration clubs and provided much-needed family income. The markets provided a place where women could earn money selling eggs, butter, garden produce and canned goods.

Home demonstration clubs supported war efforts during World War II, conducting scrap drives and even selling war bonds to outfit the Larkspar as a military hospital ship.

Clubs encouraged literacy in their communities, first by borrowing books from the state library in Raleigh and later developing book-lending programs that led to the establishment of county public libraries.

The Henderson Extension and Community Association will have its 100-year celebration at a county picnic in June at Bullington Gardens. If you were a past member, we invite you to join us to help us celebrate. We'd love to hear from you and your experiences. Call me for more information.

Henderson County ECA members are also selling raffle tickets for an antique quilt, made by Jeanette Ledbetter, an Edneyville member who passed away a few years ago. This quilt was donated by Pat Boozer, also an Edneyville member. Tickets are $1 each or six for $5. If you'd like to buy a ticket or see the quilt, drop by the Henderson County Extension Center in Jackson Park.

West District ECA will celebrate 100 years of ECA at its annual Spring Day this month at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center in Mills River. Members will participate in a fashion show featuring fashions from the past decade. It is sure to be a fun-filled day.

If you'd like more information about Henderson County's Extension and Community Association, or information about attending either of the two events mentioned above, call Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent Renay Knapp at 828-697-4891.

<p>North Carolina owes much of its success today to women who participated in extension "home demonstration clubs," working to improve the well-being of families and their communities. </p><p>This year, North Carolina's Extension and Community Association celebrates 100 years of home demonstration and community development across the state.</p><p>In Henderson County, the Extension and Community Association (ECA) clubs are active in their communities today. Through the educational guidance and research-based information provided by N.C. Cooperative Extension's family and consumer sciences agent and specialists based at N.C. State and N.C. A&T State universities, ECA is a grass-roots institution that has actively addressed the needs of families in their communities for 100 years. </p><p>Today ECA clubs are still involved in their communities, encouraging healthy lifestyles, supporting community literacy and providing for our state's military personnel. </p><p>Henderson County has at least four active ECA Clubs that support many organizations and agencies. Some of them include MainStay, Open Arms, Interfaith Assistance Ministry, local fire departments, the Linus Project and more.</p><p>In 1911, Jane S. McKimmon, North Carolina's first female home demonstration extension agent, convinced 14 county superintendents of education to employ home demonstration agents to support the girls' tomato club program. Tomato clubs were the girls' counterpart to the boys' corn clubs that taught rural youth valuable skills for life on the farm.</p><p>By 1913, the mothers, who had learned to can so well that they were canning leaders in their communities, began to ask for clubs of their own where they might learn other skills for the home. Thus home demonstration clubs for women were organized in 14 counties.</p><p>Home demonstration work began in Henderson County in 1918 when Annie Mae Baker served as home agent, along with farm agent Frank Fleming. </p><p>About 1923, McKimmon, a state home agent, came to the county to encourage groups of homemakers to organize themselves. They were encouraged to grow tomatoes, to can these for home use, and to sell them to others to add to the family income. </p><p>A meeting of homemakers was held at the home of Gladys McKinna in the Etowah community, where they were encouraged to consider ways of making their kitchens more functional and their homes more attractive. As part of this special project, McKinna's husband made a small tea cart for her.</p><p>In 1924, Rachel Everett served as home agent for a year. She was one of the supporters of the formation of the Curb Market, which is now on Church Street. </p><p>In 2010, the Curb Market celebrated its 85th anniversary and still organizes Old Timey Days with displays of many arts, crafts, food and plants.</p><p>Throughout the last century, home demonstration clubs, later renamed Extension Homemakers and today known as ECA clubs, have been involved in helping North Carolina become the progressive state it is today. From the earliest days, women organized efforts beyond their own homes to support their communities.</p><p>During the 1918 flu pandemic, home demonstration clubs provided food for those who were ill and even helped run emergency hospitals. Home demonstration clubs launched efforts to feed schoolchildren, a precursor to today's school lunch programs.</p><p>In times of economic hardshipsuch as the Great Depression, curb markets, such as ours on Church Street, were started by home demonstration clubs and provided much-needed family income. The markets provided a place where women could earn money selling eggs, butter, garden produce and canned goods.</p><p>Home demonstration clubs supported war efforts during World War II, conducting scrap drives and even selling war bonds to outfit the Larkspar as a military hospital ship. </p><p>Clubs encouraged literacy in their communities, first by borrowing books from the state library in Raleigh and later developing book-lending programs that led to the establishment of county public libraries.</p><p>The Henderson Extension and Community Association will have its 100-year celebration at a county picnic in June at Bullington Gardens. If you were a past member, we invite you to join us to help us celebrate. We'd love to hear from you and your experiences. Call me for more information.</p><p>Henderson County ECA members are also selling raffle tickets for an antique quilt, made by Jeanette Ledbetter, an Edneyville member who passed away a few years ago. This quilt was donated by Pat Boozer, also an Edneyville member. Tickets are $1 each or six for $5. If you'd like to buy a ticket or see the quilt, drop by the Henderson County Extension Center in Jackson Park.</p><p>West District ECA will celebrate 100 years of ECA at its annual Spring Day this month at the Mountain Horticultural Crops Research and Extension Center in Mills River. Members will participate in a fashion show featuring fashions from the past decade. It is sure to be a fun-filled day.</p><p>If you'd like more information about Henderson County's Extension and Community Association, or information about attending either of the two events mentioned above, call Family and Consumer Sciences Extension Agent Renay Knapp at 828-697-4891.</p>